Silo.



E. F. SCHLICHTER.

SILO.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 16. 1915.

1,14'7A47. Patented July 20, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

, I I Y ATTGENEIS;

E. F. SCHLICHTER.

SILO.

APPLICATION FILED APR-16. 1915.

(7- 0 1,147,447. Patented July 20, 1915.

2 SHEE TSSHEET 2 WITNESSES a 2.5 Z Z INVENTOR r 'm I f" 5 Wm Q Q ATTORN COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH (IO-.WASHINGTON, D. c.

ENDS F. scnnronrnn, or-rnrnnnnnrnra, rnnnsvtvnivm.

i Specificationof Letterslatent.

Application filed April 16, 1915. Serial No. 21,809. I

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that'I, Enos F. SonLIoHTER, a citizen of the United States, residingin the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have' invented a new and useful Silo, of which thefollowing is a specification.

' My invention conslsts of a new and use silo top having novel means for connecting the same with the silo body. p It further consists'of other novel features of construction, all'as will be'hereinafter fully set forth. For the purpose of illilstrating my inven tion, I have shown in the accompanying drawings one form'there'ofwhich is at pres 1 ent preferred by me, since the same will give in practice satisfactory reliable results, although it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities of whichlmy invention consists canjbe variously arranged and organized and "that my inven tion 'is'not, j limited to the precise arrangement and organization of these instrumentalities' as hereinshownjand' described, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view on line mm Fig. 2 of the 'upperportion of a silo body showing the topjsections in open position. Fig. 2' isfa horizontal section 80 thereof on line g- L Fig. ,1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a hinge employed, in detached position. Fig. 4 is a sectional view online e.e Fig.3; Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line a-a Fig.3. Fig; 6 is a top plan view 'of a plate employed,on an em larged scale, with the stretchers broken away; Fig. 7 is a' sectional view of the plate, showing pivotal connection of the stretchers therewith. Fig. 8 is an enlarged view showing the connection between a top section and a bolt employed.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the figures.

Referring to the drawings :1 designates the upper portion of the silo tank or body,

which may be of any suitable or desired construction to accomplish the desired result, and in the present'instance, i s shown as of a hollow tile construction. Around the upper edge of the body or tank 1, I have provided agroove2 for a purpose ;to be hereinafter described. v

.3 designates the top sections, preferably in th e form of triangles which are hingedly connected with the .top offthe silo, andbetween'the top sections are'flexible' sections 4 suitably connected-with therniand formed I of canvas or other s'uitablet material, the

flexible sections serving to close the-spaces between the top sections when the latter are open or unfolded. In order to movablyconnect thetop sections with the .topmof' the-I body, I have provided a suitable number of, hlnges dep'ending uponthe number of top sections employed. 'As each of the hinges 5 are of similar construction, I will describe one. o

g designates a jb ra cket forming abase and Whichis adaptedfor suitable connection with. thehody: of the' silo. As here 70. 3

shown, I'have provide d the downwardly ex tending members: 6, 1 through which pass the clamping members, such asset screws *7, in order that the bracket 5 can be firmly'connected with the top of thesilo and-removed therefrom. The upperiface 8 of the bracket 1 serves as a'tra'ck or guide and is provided with the longitudinally extending I slot 9.

s 10"designates abedslidably mounted upon the-bracket 5 in order to be adjustable there so 1' on' and' carries the'cl'amping means 11 for locking the bed in its adjusted positions.

The'bedlO carries a'latera'lly eXtending arm 12 havlng longitudinally extending slots {13 thereinand provided with'the'depending g5 side wings 14, the ends of which are adapted, when the hinge'is in position on the body 1, to be locatedin the groove 2 toassist in holding the parts in position.

15 designates bolts seated in said slots 13 and "which are provided 'w-ith the clamping means 16,- here shown as nuts andwash ers, for'locking the same-tothe arm 12,-it being understood that the said bolts can be moved in the'slots 1e laterally of the bracket, inde 5 pendently of each other, and locked in their ad ustedpositions. 1 I have also provided means for. longitudinal adjustment bf the bolts 15 with respectto thebracket 5, and V in the present instance I have shown the same as providedwiththr'eads 17 engaging the locking means or nuts 16, for this purpose. Each of the bolts is provided with an eye 18adapted to receive a .pintle or other suitable means for pivotally connect ing the samewith the top sections. As here 4 shown, I have provided the 'top'sections 3 with the inwardly extending flanges '19, and I so locate, the bracket 5 in order that one bolt 15. will be connected with, one top section and; the other bolt 15 thereof will'be suitably'connected with the next adjacent Y top section. By this means, each top sec tion will be hingedlv connected at its opposite side with the body, thus insuring a strong and durable structure and the proper operation of the raising and lowering of the top sections, as will be evident.

I have found in practice, in the construction of silos, particularly of the hollow tile construction, that the same are never true to a circle. This arises from the fact that in the manufacture of the hollow tiles, there is always a slight variation in the tiles themselves,wdue to the burning, and also during the setting up of the same, it is impossible to have the same amount of material, such as cement, inserted between the joints for connecting the parts. These reasons will, in some instances, cause a variation in the diameter of a number of inches and will throw the body out of the true circle. The top sections are manufactured for a given size of tank, say twelve feet. A silo which is constructed with the idea of being a twelve foot silo will vary a number of inches, that is to say, one diameter might be, for example, eleven feet ten inches, and a cross sectional diameter at right angles thereto might be twelve feet two inches. Due to this variation, it is essential to have some means for suitably connecting the top sections to the body to insure that they will properly open and close. By means of my novelhinge just described, it will be evident that I can independently adjust, both laterally andlongitudinally, each of the bolts 15 on the body, in order that the eyes thereof, that is the points of connection, can be properly located to be suitably connected with adjacent top sections, in order that the. hinge of the top sections of the body will be located to cause the sections to close with respect to each other. In addition, an initial adjustment of the body on the bracket can be made, in order that the ends ofthe depending arms 14% will properly enter the groove 2 in the top edge to assist in holding the parts in position. I have also shown a structure by means of which I can open and close the top sections. Adjacent the upper portion of each of the top sections 3, I pivotally connect the outer end of a stretcher 20, the opposite end of each of which is pivotally connected at 21 with a plate 22, which is carried by a sleeve 23. Extending forwardly or outwardly from the plate are pairs of lugs 24 having alining openings and between each pair of lugs a stretcher is adapted to be situated when the top sections are in opened position. A suitable member of said stretchers are provided with an opening 25 adapted, when in alinement with the openings in the lugs 24, for the reception of a locking means, such as the pin 26, which also passes through the openings in the lugs 24 in order to lock the stretchers to hold the top sections in opened position. I have illustrated the lock ing means as cotter pins carried by chains 27, one end of which is suitably connected with the plate 22.

28 designates a cap, preferably conical, carried by a rod 29, which is movable in the sleeve 23 and may be held in different positions therein by a set screw 30. When the parts are in the position seen in Fig. 1, by releasing or removing the pins 26 from their engagement with the stretchers 20, the plate can be lowered or drawn down, thus swinging the top sections 3 upon their hinges to cause them to assume the position seen in dotted lines in Fig. 1 and closing the top, after which the cap 28 can be lowered on the sleeve 23 to a position above the ends of the top sections, and can then be locked in this position, if desired. l/Vhen it is desired to open the top, the cap 28 is first pushed upwardly to permit outward movement of the ends of the top sections, after which the plate 22 is elevated, forcing outwardly the free ends of the top sections until the openings in the stretchers 20 aline with the openings of the lugs 24:, when the pins 26 can be again inserted to lock the parts in their opened position.

It will now be apparent that I have devised a novel and useful silo, which embodies the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the invention and the above description, and while I have, in the present instance, shown and described a preferred embodiment thereof which will give in practice satisfactory and reliable results, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible of modification in various particulars without departing from the spirit or scope of the inventionor sacrificing any of its advantages Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, is g 1. In a silo, the combination of a tank having top sections adapted to be hinged to the upper end thereof to close together to form a top witha plurality of hinges each comprising a base connected to the top of the tank, a bed slidable on said base, and a bolt laterally and longitudinally adjustable on the bed and pivotally connected with a top section.

2. In a silo, the combination of a tank having top sections adapted to be hinged to the upper end thereof to close together to form a top with a plurailty of hinges each comprising a base connected with the top of the tank, a bed slidable on said base, a bolt laterally and longitudinally adjustable on the bed and pivotally connected with a top section, and means for locking the bolt in its adjusted position.

3. In a silo, the combination of a tank having top sections adapted to be hinged to the upper end thereof to close together to form a top with a plurality of hinges each comprising a base connected to the top of the tank, a bed slidable on said base, a pair of bolts independently and laterally adj ustable on the bed, one being pivotally connected with one top section and the other with the next adjacent top section, and independent means for locking the bolts in their adjusted positions.

4:. In a silo, a tank, top sections adapted to be hinged to the upper end of said tank to close together to form a top, a pair of bolts each connected with adjacent top sections, a slidingly supported bed for each pair of bolts, means for independently adjusting and locking each bolt on the bed, and a base for each bed connected with'the tank and upon which the bed is movable and adjustable.

5. In a silo, the combination of a tank having a groove in the upper face and provided with top sections adapted to be hinged to the upper end thereof to close together to form a top with a plurality of hinges each comprising a base connected to the top of the tank, a bed slidable on said base and having arms adapted to be seated in the groove, a bolt laterally and longitudinally adjustable on the bed and pivotally connected with a top section, and means for locking the bolt in its adjusted position.

6. A hinge for a silo top comprising a base having means for clamping the same to the silo tank, a bed longitudinally slidable on the base, means for locking the base in adjusted position, and bolts carried by said bed independently adjustable laterally and longitudinally and adapted for connection with top sections of the silo.

7. A hinge for a silo top comprising a base having means for clamping the same to the silo tank, a bed longitudinally slidable on the base, means for locking the bed in adjusted position, bolts carried by said bed independently adjustable laterally and longitudinally thereon and adapted for connection with top sections of a silo, and

means for each bolt for locking the same in adjusted position.

8. A hingeffor a silo top comprising a base having means for clamping the same to the silo tank, a bed longitudinally slidable on said base and having laterally ex- Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents eaeh, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. p

tending slots therein, means for locking the from to a point beneath the bottom wall of the base, means for locking the bed. in adjusted position, and bolts carried by said bed independently adjustable laterally and longitudinally and adapted for connection with adjacent top sections of the silo.

10. A hinge for a silo-top comprising a base having means for clamping the same to the silo tank, a bed longitudinally slidable on the base and having laterally extending slots therein, arms on said vbed extending downwardly on opposite sides therev of below the bottom wall of said base, means for locking the bed in adjusted positions, a"

bolt in each slot laterally adjustable therein and adapted for connection with adjacent top sections of the silo, and locking means i for said bolts 1n which they are longitudi nally adjustable. i 11. In a silo, the combination of a body, top sections hinged to said body, stretchers pivotally connected at one end to a topsection, a plate to which the opposite end of each stretcher is pivoted, and means for locking the stretchers to theplate for hold ing the sections in opened position.

12. In a silo,=the combination of a body,

top sections hinged to said body, stretchers pivotally connected at one end to a top sec-.

tion, a plate to which the opposite end of each stretcher is pivoted, ears projecting from the plate adjacent each stretcher, and

means for lo cking the stretchers to the ears for holding the sections in opened position. 13. A hinge for a 'silo top comprising a base having means for clampingthe same to the silo tank, abed slidable on the base, means for locking the bed in adjusted posi- I tions and means carriedby the bed adjustable laterally and longitudinally thereon for connection with a top section of the silo. ENOS F. SOHLIGHTER. Witnesses:

G. D. MoVAY, M. E. BYRNE.

Washington, D. G. 

